Ground leveler



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. GROUND LEVELER Filed June 4, 1954 I v 3 sheetsQsheet 2 W @M2M ArraR/VET Dec.'3, 1957 f L.. s. PucKETT 2,814,391

- GROUND LEVELER Filed June 4, 1954 3 Sheets-'Sheet 3 l lo I Dif' 'r1 as? 'I n A INVENTOR.

0l/l5' .SPIE/(ETT i Wf/wm Arromve'f United States Patent 2,814,891 GROUND LEvELER Louis S. Puckett, Whitewater, Colo.

Application June 4, 1954, Serial No. 434,503

1 Claim. (Cl. 3'7-148) This invention relates to improvements in ground levelers and has for a primary object to provide a ground leveler which is structurally simple but durable and eilicient and which can be drawn by any type of draft means.

A further Object yof this invention is to provide a ground leveler which embodies an adjustable blade unit and spreader and a pusher member which is simultaneously adjusted with the blade unit, the adjustment means being structurally associated with the leveler so that a self-contained adjustable unit is provided.

A further object of this invention is to provide an adjustment means for the blade unit and associated pusher which is easily actuated from a position in advance of the leveler and while an operator is seated on the draft unit.

A still further obje-ct of this invention is to provide a ground leveler which is particularly designed to level the land for irrigation purposes and which embodies a relatively small number of structural components.

These and ancillary objects are attained by this invention, the preferred embodiment of which is set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view of a ground leveler, constructed in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Figure 3 is a front end elevational view thereof;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Figure l;

Figure 5 is -a cross-sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 6 6 of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of one corner of the blade unit, and,

Figure 8 is an enlarged side elevational view of the arm and adjusting lever construction.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the ground leveler which includes a frame 12, preferably constructed from wood and including parallel sides 14 and 16 which have their lower side edges in ground engagement. The front ends 18 of such edges are upwardly inclined slightly to increase the sliding efficiency of the sides which dene runners. The rear ends of the sides are directly connected by an end cross bar 20, which is spa-ced above the lower edges of the sides.

The sides are rigidiiied by truss members 22 -and 24, which are suitably xedly superimposed on the outer side surfaces of the sides 14 and 16 and which are spaced from the ends thereof. The truss members brace the sides especially when the frame is turning short. The truss members are coplanar with the lower side edges and are spaced below the upper edges of the sides.

A spreader unit 26 is transversely mounted between the rear ends of the sides 14 and 16 and includes a bar 28 which has its ends fixed by angle brackets 30 to the inside surfaces -of the sides. The bar 28 is inclined upwardly and forwardly. The bar serves as a brace and bearing rCC surface for a spreader board 32 which slides vertically in surface contact with the rear of the bar. The spreader board 32 is held in adjusted positions by upstanding screw rods 34 provided adjacent its ends and extending upwardly from the upper edge thereof. The screw rods project through openings in the declined portions 36 of angle brackets 38 and 40 which are mounted on the inside surfaces of the sides and project above the upper edges thereof. The rods suspend the spreader board from the brackets 38 and 40 on the sides and are held in place by nuts 42.

A pusher and blade unit 44 is disposed at the front of the frame and includes a pair of longitudinally extending side members 46 and 4S, which are disposed alongside the inner side surfaces of the sides 14 and 16. The side members 46 and 48 are pivotally mounted on a tubular member 50 which extends transversely between the sides 14 and 16 and a pusher board 52 is xed between the front ends of the side members. The side members 46 and 48 extend beyond the front ends of the sides 14 and 16 so that the pusher board 52 is disposed forwardly thereof and forms the front end of the leveler. Attached to the rear ends of the side members 46 and 48 is an arcuate leveling plate 54 which has a lower blade edge 56. The plate 54 is attached by lateral end flanges 58 and 60 which are riveted flat onto the side members. The plate 54 has its concave side facing the front of the leveler and is secured to the side members so that it and the pusher board 52 are simultaneously vadjustable by means of an adjusting unit 62.

The adjusting unit 62 includes a cross bar 64 which is held transversely above the upper edges of the sides 14 and 16 by 4angle brackets 63 and a cross beam 66, the bar 64 and beam 66 being parallel and having coplanar upper edges on which a longitudinally extending board 68 is mounted. The board 68 has an axial slot 70 to receive a rotatably mounted pulley 72 on which is guided a chain 74. The chain 74 is suitably connected to the plate 54 at one end `and to a link 76 at its other end. The end is adjustably connected to the link 76 so that adjustment in the length of the chain can be made at such point.

The link is pivoted, at 78, to a lever 80 which carries a spring urged pawl 81, cooperative with the quadrant 82 mounted `on the board. A flexible release member 84 is attached to the pawl to release it.

For the purpose of raising the plate 54 and simultaneously 0f course lowering the pusher board 52 or vice versa, from a position on the draft vehicle, an arm 86 is attached to the lever, as shown in Figures 2 and 8. The arm has a down-turned outer end 88, which provides a convenient handle and is formed with an axial slot 90 to receive the lever. The lever is held in place by a pin 92 and the arm is rigidied 4at such point by plates 94 and 96 which are held by pins on opposite sides of the arm. The member 84 has its upper end fixed to the arm 86.

In use, the leveler is pulled by a draft means through the use of llexible couplers 98 secured to eyes 100 that are mounted on the Sides 14 and 16. The leveler moves on the runners and the pusher board 52 serves to push rocks and the like out of the way as well as initially spreading the dirt smooth. The blade edge on the plate 54 cuts in and levels off rough spots and aids the plate 54 in gathering the dirt, while the spreader board 32 spreads out any hump left by the plate 54 and spreads over the dirt drifting behind the plate 54. Due to the pivoting of the side members 46 and 48 at their front ends, the weight of the scoop plate 54, which is lowered by gravity by slackening the chain 74, will cause the pusher member 52 to be raised. When the chain is tightened, the scoop 54 will be lifted and the pusher member 52 will be lowered.

It will be apparent that raising the arm 86 will release the pawl 31 while a forward or rearward movement of the arm 86 will raise or lower the plate 54 while at the same time lowering or raising the member 52.

While the best known form of this invention has been disclosed herein, other forms of the invention may be realized as come within the scope of the invention defined by the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A ground leveler comprising a frame having a pair of spaced parallel ground runners and a front and rear end, a tubular member transversely mounted in the forward ends of said runners, a pair of side members each pivotally mounted adjacent its forward end to said tubular member and each positioned inwardly adjacent one of said runners, a substantially vertically extending pusher board aiixed to the forward ends of said side members, a scoop plate aiixed at its ends to the rearward portions of said side members, said plate being Varcuate in vertical cross sectional area and presenting its concave face forwardly, a board mounted atop said frame, a pulley mounted in said board, a lever pivotally mounted upon said board, a linl; connected at one end to the lower portion of said lever, a. chain entrained over saitfpulley and Vconnected at one of its ends to said scoop plate and at its other end to the other end of said link, a quadrant mounted on said board adjacent said lever, `a pawl carried by said lever and engageable with said quadrant, an arm extending forwardly from the upper end of said lever, a rod interconnecting the inner end portion of said arm with said pawl, and a downwardly directed handle formed at the forward end of said arm.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,639,182 Henry Aug. 16, 1927y 1,691,854L Overman Nov. 13, 1928 1,711,350 Hughes Apr. 30, 1929 1,784,691 Ingalls Dec. 9, 1930 2,104,675 Ruff Jan. 4, 1938 

